Exciting new walk south of Sydney

Exciting new walk south of Sydney

With waterfalls, cascades and a canyon, the Tahmoor Gorge and Mermaid Pool area provides a beautiful half day walk near Picton.

The stunning Mermaid Pool on the Bargo River, in rain.

It's always a joy when I discover a new walk, particularly one relatively close to home. This is a fabulous 10km loop and at the moment it is relatively clearly marked. There are lookouts, cliffs, waterfalls, a range of vegetation (from flowering scrub to rainforest) and cascades galore. Would be well worth a swim or two along the way in summer, or see it at its most dramatic, in driving rain (as I did this week).

Getting there

Heading south from Sydney as if going to Canberra, pass the Pheasants Nest roadhouse, then take the next turnoff (Avon Dam Road). Cross over the freeway, and take the first right (Arina Road). Follow it for 8km.
Park near the Rockford Road bridge that goes over the Bargo River at Tahmoor. (Turn left into Charles Point Road just before the bridge, then immediately right and follow the dirt track down to the parking area and bridge.) I met some police here who assured me that car break-ins here are NOT common.
There is a wading/swimming area near the carpark that may be popular.
More instructions can be found on the Wollondilly Shire Council site.

The walk

Walk under the bridge, then follow the river for a few hundred metres until you cross a small creek. Once across the creek, take the higher track and follow this for 10 minutes or so. A small sign on a tree will lead you down to the See Through Pool cascade.

See Through Pool and cascades.

A little further along the main track, another track leads down to Mermaid Pool. You'll follow the river downstream for a bit and come to a large overhang, a cascade and waterfall beneath you, and the huge Mermaid Pool. A sign warns you that there is no "safe" exit from the pool. Two ring bolts in the rock may allow you rope access down through the hole in the rock, but if you go down there, you will need to be able to get out again. Some fixed ropes near the cascade may be present to help. If you swim right across the large pool, it is possible to evacuate on the far side, on the downstream side, by hiking and climbing up the steep ridgeline that comes down.
Anyway, the view down the bottom isn't as spectacular as the views from the top. The adventurous may like to cross the river a little higher up, and work your way up to the top of the cliff on the other side (there is a chute near the pool that is easy to climb). A thin track goes along the top of the cliff and provides some great views. There are also brilliant views further along the pool on the same side as the overhang (the side you come in on). A difficult track goes up from the "No safe access" painted sign to a hanging ledge way above the pool. It has two bolts in the rock, which I assume are used for a high and fairly scary abseil.
To continue to the canyon, make your way back up to the main track. You'll pass by some great lookouts of Mermaid Pool before coming to the canyon turnoff. From here it is a loop walk, and I recommend doing the loop anticlockwise - stay high, and follow the cliffline until the track (marked with flagging tape and markers in trees) starts to descend. You'll then be walking back up the canyon back towards the way you came.
Allow at least an hour to walk along the bottom of the gorge. There are enough flagging tape markers at the moment to follow the track, but be warned, it does cross over the river for a while, and then back again. The rocks can be very slippery and you may need to take it slow. Before the track crosses back, the flagging tape and markers became indistinct for a few hundred metres, but keep an eye on the original side of the river and you will eventually see where to cross (just above a small cascade on the bend of the river. I did need to do a little bit of scrambling here to safely get across in wet conditions with the river rising.

The bottom of Tahmoor Gorge, with waterfalls, cascades and rock features.

There are some great little overhangs, pools, rock features and cascades to enjoy along the gorge, so if the weather is good, take your time and enjoy it. Soon enough the track wanders fairly steeply back up to the top and you'll rejoin the original track. Turn right and head back to the car.
Along the walk keep an eye out for a small brown and orange bird in the rock overhangs and cliffs - it is the rock warbler, the only bird endemic to NSW. It has been called the cave bird.

How long will it take?

It's signposted as a 10km walk, but there are a few steep ups and downs in there. With my 12-year-old son, in very wet conditions, we took 4 hours, so it should make for a pleasant half day walk for most people. If you are unfit or not used to bushwalking, it could take longer. It is not recommended to drink the water in the Bargo River, so take water and food.


I've visited the spot twice in a week, and have plans to head back in warmer weather to enjoy some of those pools.

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